Social engineering is manipulating people into revealing confidential information or performing actions. Examples of social engineering include finding sensitive information in trash or pretending to be from an organization to trick users into providing passwords or account numbers. To reduce risks, users should be suspicious of unsolicited requests for information and never provide passwords or sensitive data via email. If victimized, users should change passwords and report suspicious activity to IT.

1. IT Services Open Forum Social Engineering Forum: Protecting Yourself on the Campus Network April 16, 2009

13. Questions and Answers IT Services Open Forum Q: How do you know if your site is secure? A: Look for a small padlock in the lower right corner of your browser window (illustration below) or in the website address box (not on the actual site itself). Also look for HTTPS:// in the website address on secure sites instead of just HTTP://. Q: Do I need to be concerned with a website that does not have a “log out” button? A: Yes, a little. Site’s that do not have a “log out” button may cache (or keep) your account open so that others can view your account by simply opening the web browser. A safe practice is to lock your computer when leaving or to restart your computer to clear the session if a “log out” button is not available.